Range-finder.



H. H. ROYALL.

RANGE FINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

Patented Sept 21. 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. H. ROYALL. RANGE FINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

934,841. Patented Sept; 21. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED s'r Es- "er HIlLARY H. ROYALL, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

RANGE-FINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept;,'21, I 3 v Application filed May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,694. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HILARY H. ROYALL, a citizen of the United States, and a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy, stationed on board the U. S. S. Kearsarge, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Range- Finders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in-the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to range finders of the binocular type, and has for its object to produce a simple inexpensive and an efficient device of this nature which will measure the distance between two objects, when the dimensions of one of them is known.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of right eye piece.

construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification :'Figu-re 1 is an end view of a pair of binoculars with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the same; Fig. 3,.is an elevational view of the means for adjusting the eye pieces; Fig. 4 is a side view of the par-ts shownin Fig. 3; Fig. 5, is an elevational view of a set of scales that are located in the focus of .the binoculars; Fig. 6, is a View of a modified form of scales; Fig.7, is a .view of a further modified form of scales; Fig. 8,- is a diagrammatic view showing how horizontal distances are measured by this invention; and Fig. 9, is a like view showing how vertical distances are measured. L

1 represents the barrels of a pair of binocu'lar telescopes preferably of the reflecting prism type, 2 the eye pieces or eye lenses thereof, 3 a transparent scale support placedin the focus of the left eye piece, and; a similar support placed in the focus of the On the support 3 is an upper horizontal scale 5, and a lower horizontal scale 6, a left vertical scale 7 and a right vertical scale-8. Thehumerals 9, 10,

11, and 12, respectively, represent corresponding scales on the right scale support 4:.

It is well known that when a pair of telescopic binoculars are focused on a distant object only one image is seen, and that,

therefore, if the above scales are placed in the focuses of their respective eye pieces,

said scales will be superposed and only one set of scales will be seen. It is, also, well known that the relative dimensions of a dis- 7 of the eye pieces, say the leztt one, is horizontally adjusted so as to laterally displace its image, two images of the same object will be seen. From this it is also apparent that if two objects were viewed in the first place, the imageof one object as seenin one eye may, by adjusting one eye piece, be brought to coincide with an image of the other ob ject as seen in the other eye. To make this point clear, suppose the binoculars are focused on the objects 13, 14, and 15, Fig. .8, and all of the said objects are clearly seen through the now superposed scales 9 and 5; and further suppose the objects 13 and 14 are observed to subtend say ten points, on the scale 5. Now by suitably adjusting in a horizontal direction one of the eye pieces, say the left one, the scales will be seen to separate, and two images will appear. As the adjustmentv continues the images of points 13 and 14," together with the scales 5 to 8 that are seen through the right eye piece, will appear to remain stationary, while the images of these points, and scales 9 to 12, as seen through the left eye iece will appear to approach or to recede I om the first images according to the direction in which the left eye piece is adjusted. Suppose, however, theleft eye piece is moved in such a direction as to cause the image of the point 15, as seen in the left eye piece, to coincide with the image of the point 14, as seen in the ri ht eye piece. The scales in the left barr of the binocular will apparently move, while the scales in the right .--side will. a parently remain stationary, so that w en the point 15 has apparently coincided With-the point 14, we

may read off on the scalev 9 the number of relatively thereto.

divisions the scale 5 has apparently moved Suppose such reading shows 180 divisions; nowing that the points 13 and 14 subtended only 10 points, or divisions, we would then know that the point 15 is 18 times farther from the point 14 than is the point 14from the point 13. If the points 13 and 14 are known to be 100 yards apart, then the point 15 is1800 yards from the point 14, or is1900 yards from the point 13.

In thesame way it is obvious that if the scales are moved vertically instead of horizontally, distances directly in the line .of sight can be measured provided the observer is sufliciently elevated, as will be clear from Fig. 9. In this figure suppose the observer is situated on the point 16, and he wishes to know how far beyond the point 19 is the point 18, the height of the point 17 being known. He would vertically adjust his eye piece until the point 18 apparently coincides with the point 19, and then read off on the vertical scales 11 and 12, the amount of the displacement suffered by the vertical scales 7 and 8. Suppose the height of the point 17 is known to be 40 feet and it subtends ten divisions on the vertical scale 11. Now if it is found that the scales 7 and 11 are relatively displaced 5 divisions when the points 18 and 19 coincide, in the field of view, we will know that the distance between points 17 and 19 is one-half the height of the point 17, or 20 feet. The distance of the point 18 can then by a similarity" of triangles shown in Fig. 9, be easil found.

It is evident if in Fig. 8 the point 15 is not at right angles to the points 13 and 14, but is dis osed nearer to or farther away from the 0 server, that its distance can still'be measured by gettin its proportionate displacement on both is e horizontal and-on the vertical scales according to'the rinciples just stated. In other words, if said point 15 1s farther away than are the points 13 and 14, when the horizontal scales are adjusted point 15 will not coincide with said. point 14,

ut will be above it in the field of view; and therefore, an adjustment of the vertical scales will be necessary in order to determine the two sides of a right angled tria le of which the hypotenuse is the desired d lstance.

It' is evident that one of the scale supports as 3, may be sim ly' provided with straight lines 22, 23' whi e the other support/4 is glll'adu-ated as indicated in 6.

Or, as

ustrated in Fig. 7, the support 3 may be provided with crossed lines '26, while the other support 4 is graduated, as shown, and also provided with'crossed lines. The grad nations or, markings on the supports 3 and 4,

may bemade in any suitable manner, as for example, by photographing the same thereon, and they say 300 to 500 to the inch. 7

In order to provide a convenient means for moving the eye. pieces both' vertically and horizontally, I preferably mount them in the frame shown in Figs.- 3 and 4, which consists of the base piece 30, secured to the binocular frame, in which moves the vertical are preferably made very fine,

slide 31, provided with the arm orlug 32, through which passes the micrometer screw 33, controlling the horizontalslide 34, adapt ed to move across the face of said vertical slide and at right angles to the same, as

shown. A micrometer screw 35 passing through the lug.36-of the base .piece controls the movement of the vertical slide, as shown.

The screw 35 is provided with a milled head 37, and scale 38, and the screw 33 is provided with a milled head 39 and scale 40. The function of these scales 38 and 40,

is to enable one to readily bringv the eye pieces back to their zero positions after they havebeen displaced in the manner above described; and also to readily find the'mos't accurate positions for .the zero'of said eye pieces, when about to use the instrument. It

1s obvious that a level may be attached to the binoculars, if desired. Y

The eye piece or lens 2 fits in the hole 41 and it is clear that an adjustment of the screw 35 will move both slides 31 and 34 up or down, while an adjustment of the screw 33 will only move the slide 34 horizontally.

It is also evident that any other suitable form of adjustment may be employed for the eye pieces.

' It is obvious that changes in'the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the s irit of my invention, therefore I do not wis to be limited to such features, except as may be required by the claims.

What I claim is: C I

1. In a range finder the combination of a pair of binoculars provided with eye pieces; a measuring device comprising a plurality of scales located in the focus of said eye pieces; and means adapted to displace one of said eye pieces in two directions at an angle to each other; substantially as described.

2. Ina range finder the combination of apair of binoculars having eye pieces; a pair piece;- a pair offslides for moving each eye piece; and means by which said slides may 934,841 I r 8 v be adjusted in directions at substantially porting one of said eye pieces; and means 10 right angles to each other; substantially as for moving said slides at right angles to described. v 1 each other substantially as described.

' 4. In a range finder the combination of a In testimony whereof, I afiix my signapair of telescopic binoculars, having eye ture, in presence of two witnesses. pieces; a scale support, provided "with four HILARY H. ROYALL. scales located in the focus of each eye piece; Witnesses: a base plate; a slide mounted thereon; a sec- Tues. S. 'LoUnERBAon,v and slide mounted on the first slide and sup- I F. GUINN. 

